2 days ago
12
DUBAI – As acold arsenic biographies go, the 2 men successful complaint of the delicate negotiations betwixt Iran and the United States implicit Tehran's rapidly advancing atomic programme couldn't beryllium much different.
On the American side, billionaire existent property magnate Steve Witkoff leads the effort by President Donald Trump's medication to restrict Tehran's atomic program, which they fearfulness could let Iran to physique a atomic weapon. The Bronx-born developer finds himself tapped by Trump to present connected the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas war arsenic good — 2 conflicts that amusement nary signs of stopping.
Representing Iran is Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who similar galore of his procreation is simply a seasoned of the bloody Iran-Iraq war. He roseate done the ranks of Iran's diplomatic corps and served arsenic a trusted negotiator during the talks that led to Iran's 2015 atomic woody with satellite powers.
Whether the 2 men find communal crushed successful the high-stakes negotiations, with a 2nd circular owed to instrumentality spot Saturday successful Rome, could mean occurrence oregon nonaccomplishment successful the talks. At hazard is simply a imaginable American oregon Israeli subject onslaught connected Iran's atomic sites, oregon the Iranians pursuing done connected their threats to prosecute an atomic weapon.
Abbas Araghchi, 62
Arriving successful Tokyo arsenic Iran's caller ambassador successful 2008, Araghchi received the equivalent of a diplomatic rave reappraisal — from the U.S. Embassy of each places.
“Araghchi is simply a young, personable, polished and accomplished diplomat. ... Anyone with a constricted knowing of the facts would locomotion distant aft proceeding him with the thought that Iran has bent implicit backwards and tried everything imaginable to delight the West without result,” a March 2008 cablegram connected Araghchi released by WikiLeaks reads.
“Even erstwhile helium expressed Iran’s willingness to defy the planetary assemblage his connection was delivered evenly and successful a rational tone. He exudes an aerial of understated yet passionate content successful the presumption helium is arguing.”
The low-key benignant has been a trademark of Araghchi, who has cautiously walked the enactment betwixt hard-liners and reformists wrong Iran's theocracy. It starkly contrasts with the much affectional benignant of then-Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who reached the 2015 atomic woody with satellite powers and struck a adjacent narration with then-U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.
Araghchi, who handled immoderate negotiations for the deal, remarked connected the magnitude of their enactment the person the woody came to fruition, describing the accord arsenic “one of the astir important documents successful Iran’s history.”
“Two and a fractional years of aggravated negotiations had reached their nerve-wracking last moments,” Araghchi wrote successful a information of "A Sealed Secret: The JCPOA: A Great Effort for the Rights, Security and Development of Iran," a publication successful Farsi connected the talks. “Our nightly slumber was reduced to astir 1 hour. Hundreds of millions of radical astir the satellite were watching, and 80 cardinal Iranians were anxious and waiting.”
Born successful Isfahan into a wealthy, spiritual merchant family, Araghchi bears the the honorific “seyed," marking him arsenic a nonstop descendant of Islam's Prophet Muhammad. He was a teen erstwhile the 1979 Islamic Revolution overthrew the shah and installed the country's theocracy.
Araghchi joined the Revolutionary Guard and fought successful the 1980-88 warfare against Iraq, though details astir his work aren't publically known. The Guard past was not the monolithic enactment it is today, a paramilitary limb of Iran overseeing its ballistic rocket arsenal with heavy interests successful the country's economy.
While broadly avoiding controversy, authorities person affected his vocation successful the past. Under hard-line President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Araghchi recovered himself posted to Japan successful the archetypal spot arsenic portion of a powerfulness conflict wrong the authorities implicit atomic negotiations astatine the time.
“Put Araghchi aside, Mr. Ahmadinejad had told" Iran's overseas curate astatine the time, Araghchi recounted successful "Iran-Taishi: Memoirs of Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Ambassador of Iran to Japan,” a memoir of his clip successful Tokyo. “Not lone from the negotiators' squad but besides from the presumption of lawman overseas curate successful complaint of planetary affairs.”
Steve Witkoff, 68
Speaking earlier the Republican National Convention successful July 2024, Witkoff recovered himself afloat catapulted from the satellite of existent property into politics. But it was talking astir his lad Andrew, who died successful 2011, that humanized him to delegates.
“When I mislaid my lad Andrew to an opioid overdose, the symptom was unbearable," Witkoff told the thousands there. “But arsenic usual, Donald Trump showed up.”
That long, adjacent narration with Trump includes being with the president connected a Florida play people erstwhile helium was targeted successful an assassination effort successful September. And the president since has entrusted Witkoff with immoderate of the most-challenging situations helium faces erstwhile it comes to planetary geopolitics.
To Trump, whose full individuality arsenic a businessman and person has revolved astir making deals, Witkoff represents idiosyncratic helium tin understand. Forbes estimates Witkoff's wealthiness astatine astir $2 billion, made done his Witkoff Group, which has developed flat buildings, play courses and hotels successful the U.S. and internationally. He's besides done concern with Mideast sovereign wealthiness funds — which often service arsenic nonstop vehicles of the region's autocratic rulers.
After Trump won the election, Witkoff worked with the outgoing Biden medication to unafraid a ceasefire successful the Israel-Hamas warfare successful the Gaza Strip successful January. Witkoff, who is Jewish, worked connected convincing Israel to hold to the terms. Israel is Iran's archenemy successful the Mideast and has threatened to destruct it repeatedly implicit the years.
The ceasefire collapsed, however, connected March 18 aft Israel launched a question of airstrikes that killed hundreds of Palestinians crossed Gaza. Both Israel and the U.S. blamed the renewed hostilities connected Hamas’ refusal to merchandise much hostages earlier negotiations connected ending the warfare proceed — which was not portion of the ceasefire agreement.
Then there's the high-level negotiations implicit Russia's warfare connected Ukraine. So far, that warfare has yet to extremity contempt Trump's diplomatic campaign, peculiarly a bid of talks held successful Saudi Arabia. Witkoff has met Russian President Vladimir Putin himself arsenic portion of that push. Witkoff attended talks connected the warfare successful Ukraine with European allies conscionable earlier the 2nd circular of negotiations with Iran.
While successfully making it done the archetypal circular of negotiations with Araghchi — and gathering him look to look — Witkoff has faced the situation of negotiating implicit Iran. He made a tv quality successful which helium suggested 3.67% enrichment for Iran could beryllium thing the countries could hold on. But that's precisely the presumption acceptable by the 2015 atomic woody struck nether U.S. President Barack Obama, from which Trump unilaterally withdrew America.
Witkoff hours aboriginal issued a connection underlining something: “A woody with Iran volition lone beryllium completed if it is simply a Trump deal."
“Iran indispensable halt and destruct its atomic enrichment and weaponization program,” Witkoff added. That instantly drew rounds of disapproval from Iran, which agelong has maintained it should person entree to enrichment.
___
Vahdat reported from Tehran, Iran. Associated Press writer Nasser Karimi successful Tehran contributed to this report.
___
The Associated Press receives enactment for atomic information sum from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely liable for each content.
___
Additional AP sum of the atomic landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.
English (US) ·